Past Continuous

A Complete the sentences with was or were.

was
1 It ...................... raining this morning when 4 My parents ...................... sleeping when
I got up. the telephone rang.
2 ...................... you watching television at 5 The lights went out while we ......................
six o’clock last night? having supper.
3 ...................... the man standing at the bus 6 I ...................... walking to school when I
stop when the bus came? saw my friend.

B Complete the sentences with the Past Continuous form of the verb in brackets.

was watcing (watch) TV when my

1 I ............................. 5 The baby ............................. (not sleep) when
parents came home. we went to bed.
2 ............................. Tom ............................. 6 You ............................. (not ride) your bicycle
(study) for his test yesterday at seven o’clock? when I saw you.
3 The boys ............................. (play) football 7 My parents ............................. (leave) the
when it started to rain. house when I got home.
4 ............................. the dogs ............................. 8 When I phoned my friend, she
(bark) at midnight last night? ............................. (eat) supper.

C Write questions using the Past Continuous.

1 you / walk / in the street / at seven o’clock / last night / ?

Were you walking in the street at seven o’clock last night?
...........................................................................................................................................................
2 your father / sleep / at eight o’clock / this morning / ?
...........................................................................................................................................................
3 you / listen / to music / in the bedroom / when Mum come in / ?
...........................................................................................................................................................
4 your brother / wait / at the bus stop / ?
...........................................................................................................................................................
5 your friends / swim / at eleven o’clock / in the morning / ?
...........................................................................................................................................................

D Complete the text with the Past Continuous form of the verbs below.

listen play cut bark repair not smile

was playing the drums

 esterday, my neighbour came home early from work. His son 1 .................................
Y
in the living room and his daughter 2 ................................. to jazz music on the radio. Workers
3 ................................. the road in front of his house, a dog 4 ................................. in the garden,

and I 5 ................................. the grass. A few minutes later, my neighbour got into his car. He
6 ................................. . “Where are you going?” I asked. “Back to work, where it’s quiet,” he

said.

Photocopiable © B Burlington Books 1

Past Continuous – Answers
A 1 was 4 were
2 Were 5 were
3 Was 6 was

B 1 was watching 5 wasn’t sleeping

2 Was ... studying 6 weren’t riding
3 were playing 7 were leaving
4 Were ... barking 8 was eating

C 1 Were you walking in the street at seven o’clock last night?

2 Was your father sleeping at eight o’clock this morning?
3 Were you listening to music in the bedroom when Mum came in?
4 Was your brother waiting at the bus stop?
5 Were your friends swimming at eleven o’clock in the morning?

D 1 was playing 4 was barking

2 was listening 5 was cutting
3 were repairing 6 wasn’t smiling

Photocopiable © B Burlington Books 2